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Nancy Pelosi power in play after election

'Even if someone challenged Pelosi, they would get trounced,' says one source. |
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The numbers in the spreadsheet demonstrate how strong the progressive wing of the party will be after the election, compared with Hoyer’s moderate base. Fifty-eight of 59 public Pelosi backers from 2001 are in districts rated "safe" or "likely Democrat" by the Cook Report, while only 25 of the 32 public supporters of Hoyer's are among the most certain to return. Many lawmakers never made their endorsements public in 2001, when Pelosi beat Hoyer, 118-95, for the minority whip spot.

And if Pelosi steps aside, several Democratic insiders said Hoyer could expect to face a challenge from among the ranks of House progressives who believe that the party followed too conservative a path over the past two years. Several progressives are already in leadership, including John Larson of Connecticut and Xavier Becerra of California, but neither has an independent base the size of Hoyer's.

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Of course, all of these discussions are speculative until the election results are in and Democrats return to Washington. That’s when campaign trail rhetoric would have to turn into hard votes for or against Pelosi.

Some sources insist that defectors would prevent Pelosi from organizing the House if Democrats maintain control.

“These guys are going to say no to Pelosi and not vote for her on the floor,” said a source familiar with a set of dissidents who are in communication with each other.

The most recent defector, McIntyre, declared on North Carolina television that Pelosi is “probably not going to run for speaker again,” and he noted that he had voted against Pelosi in a past leadership election. But he suggested she would face a contest within her own caucus rather than a divided Democratic Party on the floor. That could leave him and others wiggle room to vote against her in an internal caucus vote then support their party’s nominee on the floor.

Rep. Mike McMahon, the Democrat who represents Staten Island, N.Y., seems to be on the same page. He told a local newspaper that “you don’t know if she’s running again” and said questions about who he will support for speaker are “hypothetical.” Rep. Travis Childers (D-Miss.) said he would like to “see someone in the speaker seat who is pro-life and pro-gun, like most Mississippians” — and not like Pelosi.

Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon said losses could bring a change in leadership, and Rep. Scott Murphy of New York indicated he would “look at the leadership” if he is reelected.

But Pelosi has been steadfast in her belief that she will remain speaker.

"We're in the game. We're in the arena. We're in the fight,” she told Charlie Rose Wednesday night.

Readers' Comments (76)

Well, you know - a woman of her maturity *does* experience health issues; ones in addition to the rather apparent ones she already has.

Ms. Pelosi *is* aging, and with such strenuous duties ahead for the Democrats it could hardly be fair to expect a woman who experiences such fragile health to stand up to such hardships.

Perhaps it would be wiser for the Democrats in office after the election to choose another leader for their party than Pelosi, she is such a fragile and older woman after all. The Democrats need someone who is prepared to deal with the demands of Democratic Party's future, and Ms. Pelosi has already given so much.

It's time to wake up! America is in trouble. Words mean something. It is time to act. Are we getting the real facts from the media? Have we the people been duped? I once heard a TV newscaster proudly boast, "The news is what we make it." The question is ... Have we been politically blinded? See if you have!

This is an eye-opener. Google this... K Carl Smith... (include spaces), the link is http://vimeo.com/8940481, and watch this video IF YOU DARE.

Please copy and paste this on your email list to all you know. Copy and paste this it at all opportunities on news item comments sections such as this one. America needs to know the truth -- we are the enslaved of the government slave master. This is an important message for all Americans. It could be the most important for these times. If we don't fix America for us, for future generations -- who will?

If this election goes anyway near what's being predicted, and she loses more seats then any other speaker in history then I just can't imagine how she stays in charge. Any Democrat that votes for her as House minority leader deserves the same disdain that the American public feels for Congress as a whole.

There may not be a total house cleaning this election but come the next one most of these leaches will be gone for good.

She has the tools....Interesting comment. I'd like to know just what these tools are that she can demand political suicide and get it. In the end she has as much power as she's given, I wonder how much of that is based on fear of retribution.

So, let's say the Democrats lose the majority by a couple seats, (which is pretty much agreed upon by most reasonable people) and then they continue to let one of the most polarizing people lead their party?

If that happens, the argument that the Democrats do not listen to the people will be stronger than ever.

That is precisely the reason the idea even exists.

Pelosi is done. She knows it already.

That is why she does not "even entertain the idea of losing the house", because if she does, she is gone anyway.

If they lose, President Obama will make sure she doesn't lead the house again, he wants reelection of course.

A loss of the house will signal to Obama a shift to the right.

If he is half as smart as his supporters say he is, he will most definitely understand that.

This will all be seen through the 2012 race prism when the midterm is over.

Nice try though Poltico, for the "NOBODY WILL TELL PELOSI WHAT TO DO" puff piece.

You know how they bring in Social Workers to help out suvivors of a disaster? Well, you would think that Obama would spend some of his stimulus money to hire some counselors to help out all the Democrats that are going to lose thier cars, money, whores, and POWER in 3 weeks. They should have Red Cross vans to treat for shock and the counselors should be spread around the Capitol to help folks like Pelosi to understand she is just another back bencher like the incoming hand ful of so called Tea Party congressmen. BACK BENCHER. LIKE IT OR NOT.

Didn't you know? The Dear Leader has been replaced by his 26 year old son the Big General or something like that. I am surprised the communists in the White House havn't called over to Pyongyang to send congratulations. Oh my bad. Maybe Sec. of Defense Gates will relay the congratulations through China when he goes there in January to beg the Chinese not to confront the U.S.

Piglosi is what is wrong with the Democrat Party. The 20% or so who comprise the Liberal Elite arm of the Democrat Party are the tail wagging the dog. Since over 50% of people polled self-identify as conservative, this means that some Dems have conservative viewpoints,at least to some extent. The Dems in Washington read Huf-Po and DeKooks, and think all is right in their world.

We need to get rid of everyone in Congress and replace them with Patriots. These people have lead the American People in the wrong direction and need to be held accountable for their actions.

If they have been in office more than 2 years, get rid of them all. Republicans have a successful history in creating economic growth, and jobs.

We fell hard by the hands of everyone in office, not just the Republicans. The Democrats has held majority leader since 2006, which means for the last 5 years they have been passing laws that took the United States under without the votes of the Republican Party.

When the Democrats dont get their way with the Republicans, what does Obama do, sign and Executive Order against the will of the people.

Laws are being passed that is NOT taking us forward, they are leading us to a communist nation, striping the rights away from the American People.

Thank God for the Patriot Activist that has been getting out the message this year on what the Democrats agenda is. They have been planing this for the last 10 years, they intentionally took our nation under so the American people will beg them for help..

They crippled us, they made us dependent on them.. And now we have been screaming for change, and we all played right into their plan.

Go to youtube and search Obama Deception," " The New World Order 2012"

There have been Top Secret Leaks in the Governement that has been plastered all over youtube. President Obama himself has issued the FBI to investigate these leaks.

So if you dont research what these people have planned for us, and you vote for the Democrats without researching the evidence it will be your fault that you voted for a communist nation.

After reviewing the video's and news articles, go to judicialwatch.org to see all of the cases that have been filed against the United States Governement that backs these video releases, then YOU will see that Obama and the Democrats are trying to take control of America..

Nancy Pelosi is the gift that just keeps giving to the Republican candidates this election holiday season. The Democratic Party, as intelligent as they are, should continue to put ol' Nans on the television screen as much as possible, as every word she utters just makes her polls go down and her opponents to go up. It's a beautiful thing, isn't it?

DEFEAT REPUBLICONS, THEY HAVE CRASHED THE ECONOMY AND EXPLODED THE NATIONAL DEBT BY TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON FRAUDULENT OIL WARS, WHAT WMD ? THE CONS BAILED OUT WALL STREET BANKERS AND IGNORED JOE THE PLUMBER, DUMP THE CONS FOR THEIR FAILED TRICKLE DOWN POLICIES AND LIES. DUMP THE CONS FOR ALLOWING 911 WHEN THEY KNEW THE TERRORISTS COULD NOT LAND THE PLANES.

As the first Woman Speaker of the House, Pelosi turned out to be the worst historic disaster along with Obama this country has had to go through. Pelosi deserves to remain Speaker of the House if the Democrats stay in power. What? Health care got the Democrats in the trouble their in today, plus their tone deafness and Pelosi is solely responsible for that. What does Pelosi deserve? Pelosi is a dictator. Power is all she wants and representation of the people has nothing to do with what Pelosi wants to pass. Pelosi takes great joy on being on the opposite of the American people and this country. Remember what Pelosi said after Obama signed health care into law. Pelosi said there's more of this coming.

I,ll kind of hate to see the old hag go.She has given me many hours of pleasure watching her self destruct and have those mental wrestling matches trying to find the words to describe why she has done so any stupid things.